LionDen
03-11-2006, 08:52 AM
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/2113/malaniemarshall8yg.jpg
England's Melanie Marshall is
ready to challenge Australia's
swimmers.
Swimming superstar Melanie Marshall will be part of an England team aiming to challenge the dominance of Australia's swimmers during the Games.
“The eyes aren’t on us, but on the Australians. We’re the underdogs. We’ll hopefully show what we can do in the pool,” Marshall said.
The 24-year-old will swim her best event, the 200m Freestyle, followed by the 200m Backstroke and then all the Relays.
She says that her recent training has been the best for a long time but is careful not to put too much pressure on herself.
“In Athens I lost sight of ‘how to’ and was preoccupied with ‘should do’.
“That kind of pressure is something that you impose on yourself and I know now that I need to steer clear of those self-imposed expectations."
Also on the English team will be 15-year-old Fran Halsall, making her senior debut at the Games.
Halsall, from Liverpool, is a 100m Freestyle specialist, though she will also contest the 50m Freestyle and 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay.
“My goal is a final, anything else is a bonus,” Halsall said.
“This is my first major senior meet, so it's all about being part of a team, experiencing the Village, basically heading in the right direction for the Olympics in 2008.”
The Swimming events will be held 16 - 21 March at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
England's Melanie Marshall is
ready to challenge Australia's
swimmers.
Swimming superstar Melanie Marshall will be part of an England team aiming to challenge the dominance of Australia's swimmers during the Games.
“The eyes aren’t on us, but on the Australians. We’re the underdogs. We’ll hopefully show what we can do in the pool,” Marshall said.
The 24-year-old will swim her best event, the 200m Freestyle, followed by the 200m Backstroke and then all the Relays.
She says that her recent training has been the best for a long time but is careful not to put too much pressure on herself.
“In Athens I lost sight of ‘how to’ and was preoccupied with ‘should do’.
“That kind of pressure is something that you impose on yourself and I know now that I need to steer clear of those self-imposed expectations."
Also on the English team will be 15-year-old Fran Halsall, making her senior debut at the Games.
Halsall, from Liverpool, is a 100m Freestyle specialist, though she will also contest the 50m Freestyle and 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay.
“My goal is a final, anything else is a bonus,” Halsall said.
“This is my first major senior meet, so it's all about being part of a team, experiencing the Village, basically heading in the right direction for the Olympics in 2008.”
The Swimming events will be held 16 - 21 March at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.